Automatic weight-hanger.



G. REDDISH.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHT HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO-14, 190s.

Patented June28, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUS REDDISH, 0F DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN T. REDDISI-I, 0F TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHT-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 28, 1910.

Application led December 14, 1908. Serial No. 467,447.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUS REDDIsH, a citizen of the United States, residing at 4419 Alcott street, in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Veight-I-Iangers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the gures of reference marked thezreon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in weight hangers, my object being to provide a device adapted to be mounted upon the body of a vehicle in such a manner that it will automatically engage the strap, chain, or other flexible device connected with a liitching weight, and support the weight above the ground when not in use.

My improved device is also so constructed that the driver may quickly release the weight by pressing with his foot upon one extremity of the device, the latter being pivotally mounted or fulcrumed upon a suitable support for the purpose.

Having brietiy outlined my device, as well as the function it is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in det-ail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vehicle equipped with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevat-ion of the device shown in detail. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a central section taken through the device and the bottom of the vehicle body upon which it is supported. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the device shown in the weight hanging position, and in connection with a chain, which is broken away both above and below the device.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a casing, having opposite side walls 6; a rear end wall 7, and a bottom 8, having` an opening 9 at its rear extremity through which the strap 10, or other flexible device connected with the weight 12, is adapted to pass when the device is in use. This casing is secured to the bottom '13 of the vehicle body by means of suitable fastening devices as screws 14. As shown in the drawing, the threaded extremities of these screws protrude below the bottom 13, and fastening nuts 15 are applied thereto. The bottom of the casing extends beyond the side walls 6, as shown at 16, and forms a stop for the forward extremity of the pivoted locking dog 17. This locking device occupies a position between the side walls 6 of the casing, and is pivotally supported upon a bolt 18 passed through registering openings formed in the side walls 6 and the locking dog. The portion 19 of the dog located in the rear of the bolt is considerably greater in mass than the portion 2O forward of the bolt, whereby the part 19 readily returns to its lowest position when it has been raised for the purpose of releasing the strap or other flexible device connected with the weight. As shown in the drawing, the bottom 8 of the casing is provided at its rear extremity adjacent the opening 9 with an upwardly projecting lug or rib 24, which forms a support for the part 19 of the locking dog when the latter is in the locking position.

The locking dog is so shaped that when its rear portion is lowermost, its forward extremity 20 projects upwardly at a considerable angle, whereby it is readily accessible to the driver, who uses his foot to press thereon when he desires to raise the rear extremity of the dog suiiiciently to disengage it from the strap and allow the weight to drop.

In applying the locking device to a vehicle, it should be attached to the front portion of the bottom thereof, whereby it is readily accessible to the driver. It is, of course, necessary to form an opening 21 in the bottoni of the vehicle body to register with the opening 9 in the bottom of the casing of the device, to make room for the passage of the strap 10 or other flexible device employed in connection with the weight. In Fig. 5 a chain 22 is illustrated. When a stra-p is employed in connection with the weight, it should be provided with an enlargement 28 at ay proper point, so that when this enlargement engages the locking dog from above, the weight 12 will swing free from the ground. It is evident that this knot or enlargement 23 may be so located as to support the weight at any desired distance from the ground below the bottom of the vehicle body. The enlargement 23 may be formed upon the strap in any suitable manner. lf a chain is employed, there is no necessity for any special attachment thereto, since its links will perform the required function.

Assuming that the device is in the position illustrated in Fig. l, if it is desired to release the weight, the driver presses with his foot upon the forward extremity 2O of the locking dog, whereby the latter is thrown to the dotted line position in Fig. et. ln this event, its rear extremity is raised sufficiently to allow the knot or enlargement 23 to pass downwardly through the registering openings 9 and 2l, in which event the weight l2 comes in contact with the ground or other surface where the vehicle is located. Again, when it is desired to release the horse, the driver grasps the strap l0, or other flexible device, and pulls upwardly thereon until the enlargement 23 passes above the rear extremity of the locking dog. The strap is then released, when its enlargement will be prevented from passing downwardly beyond the rear portion of the dog, as will be readily understood.

The forward extension 1G of the casing bottom, forms a stop to limit the downward movement of the forward extremity 2O of the locking dog, whereby the portion 1.() of the dog located in the rear of the pivot never passes beyond a location from which it will quickly and automatically return to the locking position, as soon as the pressure or force applied by the foot of the driver' to its forward extremity ceases to act. lt is evident that if there was nothing to limit the down; ward movement of the forward extremity 2O of the doo', its portion 19, normally located in the rear of the pivot, might be thrown so far over toward the front that it could not return automatically to the locking position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

An automatic weight hanger, comprising a casing, composed of a bottom and upwardly extending parallel separated side parts and a rear end part, the said casing having an opening in its bottom adjacent the rear end, avlocking device pivotally mounted between the side walls of the casing and having its portion in the rear of the pivot of greater mass than its portion forward of the pivot, its extreme rear portion occupying a position to partly close the opening in the bottom of the casing, the bottom of the casing adjacent said opening having an upwardly projecting rib, upon which the rear part of the locking device rests, leaving a space between the locking device and the bottom of the casing forward of the rib, the forward extremity of the bottom of the casing extending beyond the side walls thereof and forming a stop to limit the movement of the locking device, when its forward extremity is depressed to release the weight.

ln testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUS REDDSH. l/Vitnesses A. J. OBRIEN, A. EBERT OBRIEN. 

